Jira Forms Meets Flower BPM
Collect Data and Start Processes with Forms
Jira Forms Meets Flower BPM
Jira Forms collect structured data in a clear layout. Combined with Flower, a form can start a process, and its data can drive the process.
This guide explains where Jira Forms are available, how to use them for process instances and activities, how to start a process from a form, and how to make sure that required fields are filled at the right moment.
Understanding Jira Forms
A Jira form is a layout for collecting structured data without customizing field screens. Each form belongs to a work type, and the answers are stored on the work item.
To keep your forms organized, create a dedicated space for forms in which each work type represents one form.
Where Forms Are Available
Forms are available in service spaces (Jira Service Management) as well as in business and software spaces, in both team-managed and company-managed spaces. Where you find them and how they are used differs:
| Space type | Where to find forms | How forms are used |
|---|---|---|
| Service space | Space settings → Request management → Forms | Attach forms to request types for the portal, create work items from a form link, or attach forms to existing work items. The form builder supports conditional logic. |
| Business and software space | Forms in the space navigation | A submitted form is converted to a work item of the work type selected for the form. |
| Any space | Apps on the Atlassian Marketplace | Advanced forms with additional features |
You need space admin permissions to create, edit, or delete forms.
Using Forms in Flower BPM
Flower models process instances and activities as Jira work items. Every work item has a work type, and every form belongs to a work type. So you can use forms in both places.
Forms on Process Instances
- Create a form for the work type that is used for your process instances.
- All data submitted in the form is available in the whole BPMN process.
- Select the work type that has the form in the properties of the process in the Flower Modeler. If a process is started from a work item (see below), the work type of that work item is used.
Form fields of the process instance are visible and editable from all connected BPMN tasks.
Forms on Activities
- Each BPMN activity can use a different work type, and therefore a different form.
- Use activity forms to collect step-specific information, for example for approvals, checks, and handovers.
- Assign the form by selecting a work type for the activity in the Flower Modeler. You can also set the work type for a whole swimlane, see Defining Jira Space & Work Type.
Start a Process from a Form
A process starts when a work item of a mapped work type is created. You can create it in two ways:
- By submitting a form. Jira creates a work item from the submitted form. If its work type is mapped to a BPMN model, Flower automatically starts a process instance, and the created work item becomes the process instance.
- With the Create button. Users create a work item from the Jira navigation bar. If its work type is mapped to a BPMN model, it becomes a process instance.
In a service space, the form belongs to a request type, which is connected to a work type. Map this work type. Request types that share a work type start the same process. See Setup Flower.
To map a work type to a model:
- Open the Flower Settings and go to the Work Type Mapping tab.
- Select a Jira space, a work type, and a model.
- Click + to add the mapping.
Every work item of a mapped work type in this space starts a process instance. Do not use a mapped work type for modeling or for unrelated work.
Access Form Data
- Process instance form data is accessible in all tasks of the process.
- Activity form data is only visible in the work item of that activity.
- You can reference form fields in BPMN expressions, for example in gateways.
Validate Required Fields
Flower creates activities automatically, and so it does for process instances that you start with the play button. Flower cannot fill in required fields. So you need to decide carefully when a field is required.
Required Fields on Process Instances
Jira Forms let you mark fields as mandatory. Jira enforces this when a user submits the form.
This works only if a user creates the process instance by submitting a form. If the process instance is created in another way, for example by another process, an automation, a script, or the play button, and a required field is not filled, the creation fails. This is a common and easily overlooked mistake.
Only mark fields as required in process instance forms if you are sure that a user submitting a form always creates the work item.
Required Fields on Activities
For activities, you usually want to make sure that a field is filled before the task is resolved, not when it is created.
Do not mark such a field as mandatory in the form. Flower creates the activity without user input and cannot fill in the field, so the creation fails and your process stops.
Use a workflow validator instead. It checks the field when a user transitions the work item, for example to Done.
Use Workflow Validators
Validators are part of the Jira workflow. They define checks that must pass before a transition can happen. The Field Required Validator is available in company-managed spaces. Team-managed spaces offer different workflow rules, see Available workflow rules in team-managed spaces .
To require a field before a task is resolved:
Open the Workflow
Open the workflow of your space for editing and switch to the diagram view.
Select the Transition
Click the transition that you want to validate, for example the transition to Done.
Add a Validator
Under Options, open Validators and click Add validator.
Select the Field Required Validator
Select Field Required Validator from the list.
Choose the Field
Select the field that must have a value and click Add.
Publish the Workflow
Publish the draft so that the change takes effect.
Users cannot complete the transition as long as the field is empty, and Flower can still create the work item automatically. Jira does not mark a field with an asterisk if a validator requires it. Add the field to the transition screen, so that users can fill it in during the transition.
Validators apply to activity work items. Process instance work items normally have no transitions while the BPMN process runs.
Avoid Automation Pitfalls
Do not use a Jira automation to check a field after a task has been transitioned. An automation can detect an empty field and even set the work item back to Open. However, the resolved event has already been sent to Flower, and the process has moved on.
Use validators to prevent an incorrect transition in the first place.
What’s Next?
- Create, edit, save, and delete forms : Atlassian’s guide to forms in business and software spaces.
- Create or edit a form : Atlassian’s guide to forms in service spaces.
- Forms in Business Process Management: Why forms and BPM belong together.
- Team-managed and company-managed spaces : What differs between them.
- Setup Flower: Configure the work type mapping.